After His resurrection from the dead, Jesus gave His disciples the Great Commission: “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20).
God consists of three Persons in One God. The doctrine of the Trinity is not a secondary doctrine, but an essential truth of the Christian faith. The Scottish theologian Thomas Torrance (1913-2007) wisely wrote, “The doctrine of the Trinity is the central dogma of Christian theology, the fundamental grammar of our knowledge of God.” Any other definition of God is false.
Some recent research sadly revealed that only 11% of Americans believe in the doctrine of the Trinity. This statistic is truly alarming. After all, God’s nature is a foundational component of Christianity 101.
Christian baptism is not baptism into Buddha, or into the Greek god Zeus, or into the Canaanite god Baal. Christian baptism is always administered in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Oxford theologian Alister McGrath said, “The doctrine of the Trinity wasn’t invented — it was uncovered.” And of course, the place where this glorious doctrine was uncovered is Holy Scripture. When Jesus was baptized, we see all three Persons of the Godhead in action. “As soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up out of the water. At that moment Heaven was opened, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on Him. And a voice from Heaven said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased’” (Matthew 3:13-17).
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Any religious group that rejects the doctrine of the Trinity is clearly outside of Christianity. After all, anyone who rejects the true nature of God is walking in spiritual darkness (see John 1:5) and without the guidance of the Holy Spirit (see 1 Corinthians 2:14). You see, it is a different spirit that leads people to reject the Trinity. The Apostle John wrote, “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1).
Two such false prophets were Joseph Smith, who invented the Mormon religion, and Charles Taze Russell, who started the religious sect known as the Jehovah’s Witnesses. Both men rejected the doctrine of the Trinity, and both men manufactured “another Jesus” (2 Cor. 11:4) and “a different gospel” (Galatians 1:6). Millions of Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses have been led astray by the terribly flawed teachings of these two false prophets. (This excellent resource reveals the heretical doctrines of these two religious organizations and how to respond with the truth.)
Oneness Pentecostalism is another renegade religious group that rejects the doctrine of the Trinity. “Oneness Pentecostalism teaches that the Trinity is a product of pagan mythology and Greek philosophy.” Oneness Pentecostals maintain that “the only real ‘person’ in the Godhead is Jesus. Thus, this religious group is often referred to as the ‘Jesus Only’ movement.” They baptize only in the name of Jesus, rather than the way Jesus instructed His disciples to baptize.
Mike Barden is a former Oneness Pentecostal who said, “I realized that I had fully embraced ‘another gospel’ than the one in the Bible!” Mike also said, “The unbiblical view of salvation” within Oneness Pentecostalism “creates great and unnecessary spiritual frustration for anyone seeking salvation. Instead of understanding the amazing grace of God that immediately frees an underserving sinner from the guilt of their sin, people in Oneness churches are taught that they are not yet saved if they haven’t spoken in tongues.”
Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Oneness Pentecostals completely twist the truth of Scripture to fit within the doctrinal agenda of their false teachers. These groups attack the doctrine of the Trinity, thereby blaspheming God and corrupting baptism, even when some biblical terminology is used during their baptisms. The Holy Spirit does not participate in these counterfeit baptisms because these heretical groups have perverted the message of the Bible. There is a different spirit at play whenever fallen angels use false prophets as their mouthpiece to promote “another gospel” (Galatians 1:8). Scripture warns us about “doctrines of demons” (1 Timothy 4:1).
Likewise, any professing Christian who rejects the doctrine of the Trinity blasphemes God and corrupts baptism. False doctrine is poison to the soul, and multitudes of people have been condemned for eternity after embracing lethal false doctrines. These lost souls were either oblivious to the Gospel or rejected it outright. Man naturally assumes he can work his way into Paradise, but this faulty approach never succeeds. You see, “All who rely on observing the Law are under a curse” (Galatians 3:10). And consider this crucial piece of information: “If righteousness could be gained through the Law, Christ died for nothing!” (Galatians 2:21).
True doctrine is essential because false doctrine prevents people from being born again through faith in Jesus Christ. Rejecting the Trinity is just as deadly as rejecting the Gospel or rejecting Christ Himself. In fact, rejecting the Trinity makes it impossible to understand and accept the Gospel. And this helps to explain why Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses are deceived into brazenly promoting “a different gospel” (Galatians 1:6) which gets presented as a new law rather than as God’s free gift of forgiveness and eternal life in Heaven through faith in Christ alone (see John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8-9). Unfortunately, there are many professing Christians today in various denominations who also attempt to turn the Gospel into a New Testament law.
Christian baptism is built upon the true nature of God. And the formula for baptism, which Jesus gave His followers, contains the beautiful truth about our Triune God. Simply put, believing in the three equal Persons who make up the Holy Trinity is foundational to following Christ.
Dan Delzell is the pastor of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Papillion, Nebraska.
